ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」
Today let's take a look at a Japanese masterpiee film coming to life on the stage.
*and not ever get tired.
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舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」 イギリス公演開幕
'SPIRITED AWAY' STAGE PLAY SHOWING IN LONDON
London theatergoers are getting a taste of the magic of Japanese animator Miyazaki Hayao.
Curtains rose Tuesday on the West End adaptation of “Spirited Away.” The show is in Japanese with English surtitles.
The 2001 cinematic megahit tells the story of a girl who stumbles into a mysterious spirit world. The stage play based on it opened in Japan two years ago.
The audience at the Coliseum theater was mesmerized by dazzling performances and costumes. At curtain call, a standing ovation.
(Audience)
“It's absolutely amazing. I think I could watch it multiple times and not ever get tired.”
Production company Toho expects some 300,000 people to watch the show over the next four months.
(2024年5月9日のニュース）
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- on the West End adaptation of “Spirited Away.”
West End
That's right. West End in London is synonymous with the theater and musicals just like Broadway in New Yourk.
- get a taste of …は「～を味わう、～を体験してみる」
- animator
動詞animate「生命を吹き込む、アニメ化する」＋ -or「人」
animation「元気、活発、動画、アニメーション」
英語で「アニメ（アニメーション）」animated series/animated film - 動詞rise「上がる、上る」は、rise-rose-risen
- adaptation「適合、適応、翻案、脚色」
動詞形はadapt「適合する、適応する、翻案する、脚色する」
on the West End adaptation of …は「～のウエストエンド（流に舞台化した）版で」
TV adaptationなら「テレビ化、テレビ化作品」
movie adaptationなら「映画化、映画版」 - “Spirited Away”「千と千尋の神隠し」
-> 句動詞spirit awayは「人をひそかに連れ去る、神隠しにあわせる」 - surtitle「舞台字幕」舞台上のスクリーンに表示される
supertitleとも言います。-> 映画や動画などの「字幕」subtitle - cinematic「映画の」名詞形はcinema「映画、映画館」特にイギリス英語で
- stumble「よろめく、つまずく、ふらふら歩く」
句動詞stumble into 「～によろめきながら入る、～に巻き込まれる、～に偶然関わるようになる」
-> I stumbled into teaching after graduating college.
「たまたま教職に就いた」 - spirit world「霊の世界、精神世界」
- stage playは「舞台演劇」
- The movie opened to rave reviews. 絶賛の批評を受けた
- Coliseum「大劇場」
[ˌkɑləˈsiəm]
- the Coliseum theater「コロシアム（という）劇場」
=> 正式名はLondon Coliseum「ロンドン・コロシアム」 - mesmerized by …「～に心を奪われる、～にうっとりする、～に魅了される」
- dazzling「（目がくらむほど）まぶしい、輝かしい、見事な」
dazzle「目をくらませる、感嘆させる」 - ovation「拍手喝采、大喝采」
standing ovation「総立ちの大喝采、スタンディングオベーション」
I could watch it multiple times
and not ever get tired.
spirit -> 人間のbody「肉体」と対比しての「心」や「精神」
When I think of spirit, it is the non-physical part of what mekes me a person. Whether you call it a spirit, sole or self, it is what makes me me.
verb spirit -> 「（幽霊などがこっそりと）持っていく」
“be spirited away”「（幽霊などに）こっそりと持ち去られる、（物が）こつ然となくなる、（人がどこかへ）秘密に連れ去られる」
-> つまり「神隠しにあって」
spirit ->
文脈によっては「元気、活気」などのポジティブな意味も持つ
spirited「元気のいい、活発な」
A girl has been spirited away by a spirit to a mysterious world.
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Frozen「凍りついて」
A princess confronts her frozen kingdom and her frozen emotional state.
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Today's lesson was great. Even as a child in America, I loved wathing Jiburi films, especially Kiki's delivery service. Thinking about the deepr meanings of movie titles is always interesting as well.
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・Enchanted「魔法にかけられて」（２００７）
・Taken「９６時間」（２００８）
・Tangled「塔の上のラプンツェル」（２０１０）
・Gone「ファインド・アウト」（２０１２）
・Unbroken「不屈の男 アンブロークン」（２０１４）
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去年の落とし物 過去最多
POLICE: LOST ITEMS REACHED RECORD HIGH IN 2023
If you've ever lost something in Japan, you're not alone. Police say nearly 30 million lost items were turned in last year nationwide, a new record.
The National Police Agency says that's the most it's ever seen since data began in 1971. That's a 3 million item increase compared to 2022. The agency says increased foot traffic post-pandemic is likely the cause. COVID-19 restrictions were lifted nationwide in May last year.
The most commonly lost items include wireless earphones and mobile mini-fans. Reusable shopping bags and portable chargers are also increasingly forgotten. The agency believes that as electronic devices get smaller, they're getting easier to misplace.
Police still encourage people to file a report as soon as they realize something's been lost.
(2024年5月13日のニュース）
ロシア ショイグ国防相を交代
RUSSIA'S DEFENSE CHIEF REPLACED WITH ECONOMIST
Russian President Vladimir Putin is replacing his defense minister for the first time in 12 years. Sergei Shoigu will make way for an official vastly more experienced at fiscal policy than fighting wars.
Shoigu is known to be one of Putin's close aides. He commanded Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. But on Sunday, the Kremlin said Shoigu will now serve as the secretary of Russia's Security Council.
Putin's new defense minister is Andrei Belousov, the current first deputy prime minister. He's overseen economic policies at a time when many countries are stepping up sanctions against Moscow.
A Japanese defense expert says the appointment suggests Russia wants to bring economic and military matters closer together. And he says that could mean Putin is preparing for an even longer war with Ukraine.
(2024年5月13日のニュース）
デング熱対策で日本企業が駆除剤を共同開発
JAPANESE RIVAL COMPANIES TEAM UP TO FIGHT DENGUE FEVER
Two rival companies in Japan have joined hands to develop a mosquito spray to fight the growing spread of dengue fever in Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
Kao Corporation teamed up with Earth Corporation to combine expertise and shorten the development period for the product.
The companies say the spray uses a fine mist to saturate the wings and bodies of mosquitoes to prevent them from flying. It does this by using a solution in the spray with low surface tension that reduces the ability of the insect's body to repel water.
The companies say the spray does not contain any chemical insecticides. They plan to start selling it in Thailand from July.
The World Health Organization says global dengue fever infections last year hit a record high of more than 6.5 million. The surge came amid concerns global warming will expand the mosquito's habitats.
(2024年5月8日のニュース）
愛媛 八幡浜でマーマレードの大会
JAPANESE CITRUS REGION HOSTS MARMALADE CONTEST
And finally, when life gives you lemons or other citrus fruit, have a marmalade competition. One of Japan's leading citrus production areas, Ehime Prefecture in the west of the country, is doing just that.
This is the sixth annual competition held in Yawatahama City to determine the best marmalades. A record 2,110 submissions were received from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States.
Thirteen judges, including chefs and patissiers from Japan and abroad — though not Paddington Bear — are tasting the entries. They'll be rated on their appearance, texture, aroma, and flavor.
There are two categories in the contest: professional and amateur. The winners of the professional division will be entitled to market their products with the contest logo. The winner of the amateur grand prize will have their marmalade sold in a top store in London.
Competitors have to wait until May 14 to find out if they won or are toast.
(2024年5月8日のニュース）
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富士山撮影スポットに目隠し 5月23日(木)
すごい。たまたま同じ記事が取り上げられていた。
富士山と舞妓さん問題、海外でも注目？
In today's lesson, there might be a KO knockout in an unudual festival contest for baties, but we will focus on some finer details of the word "to."
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 こどもの日恒例の“泣き相撲”
5月20日(月)
BABIES TAKE TO SUMO RING ON CHILDREN'S DAY
May 5 is Children's Day in Japan, and a shrine in Hiroshima is celebrating with a special event –– “baby sumo.”
About 700 children aged six to 18 months took part in this year's crying contest. The annual event at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is to pray for the health and wellbeing of children. Two babies face each other in the ring, and the winner is the first one to cry.
(Mother)
“I was worried my baby might not cry, but he did right away. I hope he grows up big and strong.”
(Mother&Father)
“My niece took part in this event last year and it was cute, so we came this time.”
“My son didn't cry as much as we expected.”
Some bouts ended in a draw because neither baby flinched.
(2024年5月5日のニュース）
- is to pray -> be＋to不定詞で「目的」「〜するためのものです」
the annual event … is to pray「毎年行われるその行事は、祈るためのものです」 - wellbeing「well（良い）状態であること」「幸福、福祉、健全性」-> 子どもたちの「幸せ」
-> well-beingとハイフンで結ぶ表記もよく使います。 - the first one to …
反対のthe last one to …「最後に～する人」
＝＞自然な日本語では「最後まで～しなかった人」
He was the last one to know the secret. - right away「すぐに、すぐさま」 ＝immediatelyやinstantlyなどでも言いかえられますが、right awayが口語表現
- grow upは「育つ、成長する」
grow up big and strongは「大きく元気に育つ、たくましく育つ」 - nieceは「めい」「おい」ならnephewです。
「叔父、伯父」はuncle、「叔母、伯母」はauntです。
「いとこ」はcousinで、「はとこ」second cousin
「義兄弟」にはbrother-in-lawを、「義姉妹」にはsister-in-law - cute「生意気な、気取った」
Don't get cute with me. 「生意気言うな、気取るな、ふざけるな」
Clever or witty, especially in an impertinent or evasive way, as in falsely suggesting that one is ignorant about the matter at hand.
- not … as much as …「～ほど～ない」
- bout「（格闘技の）試合」
- end in a draw「引き分けに終わる、引き分けになる」
- neither A nor B「ＡとＢのどちらも～ない」＝全てを否定
He showed interest in neither science nor art. - flinch「たじろぐ、ひるむ、尻込みする」
flinchTo start or wince involuntarily, as from surprise or pain.
To recoil, as from something unpleasant or difficult; shrink.
->start
(驚いて)飛び上がる，びくっとする，飛び出す.
〔…に〕ぎくりとする
=>>> To move one's body or a part of it suddenly or involuntarily:
started at the loud noise.
「向かって」いくという矢印（→）のイメージ
対象へ「向かって」いるということから、至近距離で「向き合う」
さらには対象に「到達」して接触する点（到達点）のイメージ
（１）「～すること」という名詞的用法
（２）「～する（ための）」という形容詞的用法
（３）「～するために」という副詞的用法
- The annual event at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is to pray for the health and wellbeing of children.
-> the annual event … is → to → pray 祈るという目的に「到達しようとしている」
When I hear "to" in this sentence, I imagine the event will be for the purpose of prying for health.
- I want to pray.
- He grew up to be big and strong.
It is really helpful to think of an arrow or direction when using the word, to. It maybe a difficult concept but I'm sure our listners can master it.
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The annual event at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is (held) to pray for the health and wellbeing of children.
=>
The (aim of the) annual event at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is to pray for the health and wellbeing of children.
Two babies face each other in the ring, and the winner is the first one to cry.
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 ガザ報道 ピュリツァー賞各部門で受賞
5月21日(火)
In today's lesson, let's learn another way to use the word, "with." It might be the opposite of what you expect. But it's extreamly useful.
ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT REPORTING AWARDED PULITZER PRIZES
Journalists covering the conflict between Israel and Hamas have been recognized with what are considered to be the most prestigious awards in U.S. journalism.
The Pulitzer Prize Board on Monday announced the prizes for works published last year. It honored journalists covering Gaza with a special citation. It says an extraordinary number of them have died in an effort to tell the stories of Palestinians in the enclave.
Reuters news agency staff won the Breaking News Photography prize. It was for documenting the surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel in October as well as the first weeks of Israel's devastating assault on Gaza. The board calls the photos raw and urgent.
And a team from The New York Times took home the International Reporting prize. The board says it was in part for coverage showing how Israeli officials dismissed the Hamas attack plan that they obtained well before the group carried it out.
(2024年5月7日のニュース）
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- citation「表彰」「賞状」
今年のピュリッツァー賞では、特別賞（special citation） - the enclaveは「ガザ地区」
enclave「ほかの国に囲まれている土地、飛び地・飛び領土」「周囲から孤立した少数民族集団（地域）、異種文化圏」などを表す言葉
パレスチナ暫定自治区は現在、ガザ地区とヨルダン川西岸（West Bank）に分かれています。ガザ地区は地中海に面し、北側と東側はイスラエル、南側はエジプトに囲まれています。 - raw「生々しい、ありのままの、（感情などが）むきだしの、（描写などが）率直な、露骨な」といったニュアンス
- dismissは「（考えなどを）捨てる、退ける、（問題などを）忘れ去る、無視する」
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withには、
・「～とともに」（同伴）
・「～を持った」（所有）
・「～を用いて、～をもって」（手段）
・「～のせいで」（原因）
・「～という状態で」（付帯状況）
・「～に賛成して」（一致）
・「～にとっては」（関係）
・「～に対して」「～を相手に」（対立）
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My father fought with the general.
（１）「私の父は、（戦争で）その将軍と共に戦いました。」＝My father fought together with the general.
（２）「私の父は、その将軍と戦いました（けんかをしました）。」＝My father fought against the general.
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 パリオリンピックを前にセーヌ川の水質改善
5月22日(水)
PARIS MAKES MOVES TO CLEAN UP SEINE RIVER BEFORE OLYMPICS
Now we go to preparations for this summer's Olympics and Paralympics in Paris. Officials have unveiled a new stormwater facility to combat a water quality problem in the River Seine ahead of the Games.
The underground facility has been set up near the river. Several events will be held in the Seine, including triathlon and marathon swimming.
The officials say sewage facilities in Paris are too old, so floodwaters flow into the Seine. The new facility can temporarily store up to 50,000 cubic meters of water and send it to a sewage treatment plant. They plan to operate it as early as this month.
City officials say they want to make the water quality improvement a legacy of the Games.
(Tony Estanguet / Paris 2024 President)
“It will be less pollution in the natural environment, with a river in a better state today than three years ago, and that will keep improving.”
(2024年5月3日のニュース）
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- Olympics and Paralympics
OlympicsとParalympicsはOlympic GamesとParalympic Gamesを短縮した形なので複数形 - stormwater facility
stormwater「（豪雨などによる）雨水」 - triathlon and marathon swimming
- sewage facilities -> sewage 下水
- cubic meter「立方メートル」/「平方メートル」square meter
- a legacy of the Games => legacy「遺産、レガシー」
- natural environmentは「自然環境」
sewage
[ˈsuəʤ]
- combat 「（敵、病気、犯罪、問題などに）立ち向かう」
Japanese policy to combat the weak Yen.
- combat the weak yen 「円安に対抗する」
- legacy of the Games 「オリンピック・パラリンピック競技大会のレガシー」
イギリス英語では川の呼び方はRiver Thames「テムズ川」のようにRiverを先
アメリカ英語ではMississippi River「ミシシッピ川」のようにRiverを後
-> 川や海の名前にはtheが付きます。有名な川の名前はthe ThamesのようにRiverが省略されることも多いです。
-> ちなみに、山や湖の名前にはtheを付けませんが、
“The store is temporarily closed,” it means the store is just closed just for a while.
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I found an interesting quote about the facility from one Paris offical.
We're buiding two cathedrals. He said, there's the one aboveground that everyone knows Notre Dame and then there's the one underground. It's obvious that Paris sees the water quality project as a potential Legacy maker.
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 富士山撮影スポットに目隠し
5月23日(木)
BLOCKING MT. FUJI VIEW TO DETER MISBEHAVING TOURISTS
Tourists are flocking to a town in Japan to see Mount Fuji. But some cause a nuisance and behave dangerously. So the town is erecting a giant screen to block the view.
The problems arose in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture. Photos from a particular angle show Mount Fuji as though it's standing over a convenience store. Tourists wanting this shot stray onto the busy road or trespass on private property.
This week, workers began erecting a black screen that will be 20 meters long and 2.5 meters high. They're also putting up fences to keep people off the road.
(Australian visitor)
“It's not very safe. So it makes sense that they're going to try and block the view or impede the view. But I think people will still come and take photos.”
Town officials say they hope the screen will reduce overcrowding. Still, they say putting it up was a tough decision.
(2024年5月3日のニュース）
--
- flock to
Tourists are flocking to a town in Japan to see Mount Fuji.
flock 群れ
The actor is alwayas followed by a flock of reporters.
- nuisance 「迷惑（行為）」
[ˈnusəns]
- is erecting a giant screen to block the view
- arose <- arise
The problems arose in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture.
If a new problem arises, please email me as soon as possible.
- as though …「あたかも～のように」
- stray「（本来いるべき場所から）さまよい出る、（行くべき道から）それる、外れる」
「道に迷った、はぐれた」という意味の形容詞
-> stray catなら「野良猫」 - trespass on …「～に不法侵入する」
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flock to … 「～に殺到する、～に群がる」
flock 「（人や動物の）群れ」
arise 「発生する、起こる」
tourism pollution 「観光公害」
tackle a problem 「問題に取り組む」
tourist attraction / tourist spot / sight-seeing spot 「観光スポット」
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I’d actually like to talk about a word from today's story that you can use in lots of ways. It's “stray.”
The basic idea of “stray” is to “move away from a group or the right place.” But it's not just for physical movement. You could say things like this:
“My teacher has a habit of straying from the topic,
” or “I was trying to study, but my mind kept straying.”
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So, Tom, what do you think of misbehaving tourists?
-Well, I was in Kyoto in March and I have to say, I was astounded at how crowded it was with tourists. I saw a number of people walking across strees whenever and wherever they felt like it, too.. Naomi, you're from Kyoto, right? Have you noticed any tourism issues?
-Yeah, as a former Kyoto resident, it's happy that many people are coming and interested in Kyoto, but I've seen people throwing their waste on the road or stopping on the crosswalk when the traffic light is red. So, that's kind of dissapointing for Kyoto residents.
*astound -> be astounded at
*waste
* crosswalk
Since the record number of tourists are traveling to Japan, Government offices in the locla community are acting against overtourism. In Kyoto for instance, the geisha district banned visitors from small private alley due to bad behavior.
However, I think banning tourists is only a short-term solution. So do you have any ideas on how to overcome this problem, Tom?
-Well, to me, one big thing is mutual understanding. Very few tourists are intentionaly trying to misbehave. It's just that they don't know what the norms are. Tourists need good ways to learn about cultural rules, but locals also need to put themselves in tourists' shoes.
-That's is a good point. I think the Japanese people must adjust to the enormous number of tourists coming to their cities. Learning English is one way to tackle the problem. They can tell the tourists in English, what they can and what they cannot to do at certain places.
- I know what you mean, but you have to be realistic. No matter how your English is, it's never easy to tell complete stranger that they're doing something wrong. Not everyone going to listen to either.
-Well, whatever the case, I think studying English is more inportant than ever.
-Agreed. Communications is the key.
ｰｰｰ
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」“データ主権”強化の動き
5月24日(金)
JAPAN CLOUD COMPUTING PROVIDERS FOCUS ON 'DATA SOVEREIGNTY'
Cloud computing providers in Japan are responding to customer demands for better security by offering what's known as data sovereignty services.
Data sovereignty refers to safeguarding information by keeping it within a country's borders and subject to local laws and regulations. The European Union and a number of other countries are adopting such procedures to improve data security.
Fujitsu has teamed up with U.S. IT giant Oracle to start a cloud computing service in fiscal 2025 that will keep data transfer and storage within Japan. Officials say the agreement ensures use of Fujitsu's local data centers, and no information will move offshore.
In a related development, NEC and NTT offer a service to Japanese companies using generative AI. It processes data through in-house servers without using data centers.
(2024年5月7日のニュース）
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- CLOUD COMPUTING PROVIDERS
名詞cloud「雲」+ computing「計算、コンピューティング」
-> cloud computing「クラウドコンピューティング」
- Data sovereignty refers to safeguarding information by keeping it within a country's borders and subject to local laws and regulations.
sovereignty
[ˈsɑvrənti]
- 'DATA SOVEREIGNTY' “データ主権”
sovereignty「主権、統治権」
「国民主権」sovereignty of the people - safeguard 動詞「保護する、守る」
- subject to …「（法律や規則などに）従って」
- keep it subject to …は「それを～に従っている状態に保つ、従わなくてはならない状態に保つ」
- a number of …「多数の、いくつかの」
- ensures use of Fujitsu's local data centers, and no information will move offshore
ensure「確かにする、保証する、確実にする、確保する」
offshore「沖合で、海外に」
- generative AI「生成ＡＩ」
インターネット上にある膨大なデータを学習して、新たな文章や画像など多様なコンテンツを生成することができる人工知能 - 形容詞in-houseは「社内の、組織内の」
<> 「社外の、組織外の」out-of-house
inside the company「会社内部で」<> outside the company「会社外部で」
internally「内部で、組織内（社内）で」<> externally「外部で、組織外（社外）で」
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- sovereignty 「主権、統治権」
[ˈsɑvrənti] - data sovereignty 「データ主権」
- in-house 「社内の、組織内の」
- in-house expert 「社内の専門家」、
- in-house brand 「自社ブランド」
And you can use in-house as an adverb. Here's an example, we do all of our manufacturing in-house.
- economic security 「経済安全保障」
- it's all about … 「～に尽きる、～が大事」
My phrase is today's keyword, Cloud computing.
Could you say that once in Japanese?
Can you think of any other words that you hear a lot these days and start the same way?
cloud computing
- is about data on the internet, which like a clound, is kind of a shapeless thing that feels like it's in the air.
Crowd funding
Crowd sourcing
- Now, crowd funding or crowd sourcing are about large numers of people. You're not getting help from some data on server on the cloud of the internet. You're getting it from a crowd of actual humans.
When I think about today's story, the “cloud” is a really good metaphor. Clouds in the air don't pay attention to national borders — and for a long time, cloud computing has been the same: borderless, for better or worse. Now, things are changing. It’ll be interesting to see how the shift toward data sovereignty goes for companies and individuals.
economic security
That'll do it for today!